Bucket

ABSTRACT

Example embodiments of the present invention include improved bucket designs that have one or more handles located toward a base portion of a bucket. For example, the bucket can include a body portion that defines an interior portion of the bucket. In addition, the bucket can include a base portion below the body portion of the bucket. Further, the bucket can include one or more voids located in the base portion that form a handle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/833,007 entitled “BUCKET,” filed on Jun. 10, 2013,U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/887,180 entitled “BUCKET,” filed onOct. 4, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/889,257 entitled“BUCKET,” filed on Oct. 10, 2013, the entireties of which areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to buckets, and in particular,to multi-functional buckets with an improved design to allow a user ofthe bucket to easily lift the bucket when the bucket is filled withmaterial.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Buckets are a useful tool with many uses in many industries. Oneparticular use of a bucket is to move material from one location toanother. For example, a bucket may be filled with paint, water, dirt,debris, cement mixture, or other type of material and transported usingthe bucket. In summary, buckets provide a tool for a user to movevarious materials from one location to another in a relativelyinexpensive and efficient way.

Conventional buckets, however, suffer from a number of limitations anddrawbacks. For example, a bucket can become heavy and difficult to liftwhen filled with heavy materials. This often becomes an issue withlarger buckets, such as buckets holding five gallons or more, butdepending on the material, can also be an issue for buckets holding lessthan five gallons. Many conventional buckets are supplied with a wirehandle to aid in lifting the bucket. Wire handles, however, often causeawkward lifting positions or cause discomfort to a user. Awkward liftingcan cause inadvertent spills from the bucket or, in extreme cases, maycause injury to a user.

In many cases, a user may need to lift a bucket filled with material totransport and dump the material at a particular location. Using aconventional bucket may cause discomfort to a user, particularly whenthe bucket is raised above the waist level. Further, when dumping thematerial from a conventional bucket, the user generally has to hold thewire handle in one hand while holding the bottom of the bucket with theother hand. Conventional buckets, however, provide no ergonomic way tosecurely hold the bottom of the bucket. Therefore, users oftenexperience difficulty getting a secure grasp on the bucket and/or thegrasp becomes very uncomfortable. This can cause additional discomfortor pain when repeated several times a day.

While there are attempts to resolve problems with conventional buckets,the attempts generally end up providing a much more expensive bucket.Additionally, many attempts to improve buckets have resulted in bucketsthat cannot stack with other conventional buckets, thus causing storageand organization issues where businesses or users have many buckets on ajob site.

Accordingly, there are a number of considerations to be made inproviding a new and improved bucket that maintains some or all of theadvantageous features of conventional buckets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Example embodiments of the present invention include improved bucketdesigns that have one or more handles located toward a base portion of abucket. In one example, the bucket can include a body portion thatdefines an interior portion of the bucket. In addition, the bucket caninclude a base portion below the body portion of the bucket. Further,the bucket can include one or more voids located in the base portionthat form a handle.

In one or more additional embodiments, the bucket can include variousfeatures that provide an ergonomic way to lift and transport the bucket.For example, the bucket can include one or more handles in the baseportion of the bucket that a user can grasp while lifting, holding,and/or transporting material in the bucket. Additionally, the bucket caninclude one or more features to facilitate easier transition betweentransporting material in the bucket to dumping the material from thebucket.

Furthermore, in accordance with one or more embodiments, the bucket caninclude the above and other features while maintaining advantageousfeatures of conventional buckets. For example, the bucket can includeergonomic features described herein while maintaining a shape and volumethat is consistent with the shape and volume of conventional buckets.Due to the consistent shape and volume, the bucket can not only providethe ergonomic features described herein, but can also permit thestacking of the bucket with other buckets having similar ergonomicfeatures, as well as facilitating the stacking of the bucket togetherwith conventional buckets of similar size and shape.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. Thefeatures and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained bymeans of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. These and other features of the present inventionwill become more fully apparent from the following description andappended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention asset forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and otheradvantages and features of the embodiments can be obtained, a moreparticular description of the principles briefly described above will berendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that areillustrated in the appended drawings. It should be noted that thefigures are not drawn to scale, and that elements of similar structureor function are generally represented by like reference numerals forillustrative purposes throughout the figures. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to beconsidered to be limiting of its scope, principles will be described andexplained with additional specificity and detail through the use of theaccompanying drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view showing a base portion of a bucket inaccordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a bucket in accordance with one ormore embodiments described herein.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of a bucket in accordance withone or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket in accordance with one ormore embodiments described herein.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 7 in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 9 a perspective view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 10 is another perspective view showing a base portion of a bucketin accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a bucket in accordance with oneor more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 12 is a right side elevational view of a bucket in accordance withone or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket in accordance with one ormore embodiments described herein.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 15 in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 18 is another perspective view showing a base portion of a bucketin accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of a bucket in accordance with oneor more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 20 is a right side elevational view of a bucket in accordance withone or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 22 is a bottom plan view of a bucket in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket in accordance with one ormore embodiments described herein.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 23 in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket in accordance with one ormore embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Example embodiments of the present invention include an improved bucket.In particular, the improved bucket can include one or more ergonomicfeatures to facilitate easier lifting, transporting, and/or emptying ofthe bucket. For example, the bucket can include a body portion having afloor and a body wall where the body portion defines an interior portionof the bucket. Further, the bucket can include a base portion positionedbelow the body portion where a base wall substantially aligns with thebody wall. Additionally, the bucket can include a void located in thebase portion that forms a handle having a grip.

The bucket disclosed herein has several advantages compared toconventional buckets. For example, the void in the base portion can forma handle located toward a lower portion of the bucket. The handle canprovide a location at which a user can securely grasp the lower portionof the bucket while lifting the bucket to move material contained in thebucket and/or more easily empty contents of the bucket at a desiredlocation. In some embodiments, the bucket can include additional voidsin the base portion that form multiple handles in the base portion ofthe bucket. Each of the handles can facilitate easier lifting,transporting, and dumping materials held within the body portion of thebucket. Additionally, handles formed in the base portion of the bucketcan facilitate lifting of the bucket above the waist of a user withreduced strain and/or risk of injury.

Additionally, example embodiments of the bucket provide ergonomicfeatures described herein while maintaining advantageous features ofconventional buckets. For example, some embodiments of the bucket caninclude a base portion having a base wall that substantially aligns witha body wall of a body portion of the bucket. Having aligning portionscan facilitate stacking the bucket having ergonomic features with otherbuckets having similar features as well as conventional buckets thatdon't have similar ergonomic features.

Further, the bucket can include additional features to facilitate betterfunctionality. For example, some embodiments of the bucket can include aflat bucket floor, which allows materials to be easily mixed within thebucket. Additionally, some embodiments of the bucket can include thebase portion as an independent piece from the body portion, which allowsfor the bucket to have a standard volume (e.g., consistent with thevolumes of conventional buckets) while also providing ergonomic featureswithin the base portion.

In addition to increased functionality, one or more embodiments of thebucket can provide for efficient manufacturing of the bucket. Forexample, some embodiments of the bucket can be manufactured in a singlepiece through efficient manufacturing techniques. In particular, due tothe novel and innovative design, a bucket having one or more of theergonomic features described herein can be manufactured in a singlepiece using an injection molding process. A single piece injectionmolding process can provide for a bucket having increased stability anddurability properties, as well as reduce the cost of manufacturing thebucket by reducing the number of processes necessary to manufacture thebucket. Thus, example embodiments of the bucket disclosed herein canprovide an improved bucket as compared to conventional bucket designs.

The bucket can be further understood with a discussion of the Figures.For example, FIGS. 1-8 illustrate various views of one exampleembodiment of a bucket 100. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates aperspective view of the bucket 100 in accordance with one or moreembodiments described herein. FIGS. 2-8 each illustrates different viewsof the bucket 100 shown in FIG. 1. Reference will be made to each ofFIGS. 1-8 in describing various example features of the bucket 100.

The bucket 100 can include a body portion 102 and a base portion 104. Asshown in FIG. 1, the body portion 102 can have a position above the baseportion 104 of the bucket 100. In particular, the bucket 100 can includea body portion 102 located toward the top of the bucket 100 and a baseportion 104 located toward the bottom of the bucket 100. In someembodiments, the body portion 102 is directly adjacent to the baseportion 104.

In some embodiments, the body portion 102 can align with the baseportion 104. In particular, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, forexample, the body portion 102 can include a body wall 106 that definesan interior portion 108 of the bucket 100. Further, the base portion 104can include a base wall 110 that aligns with the body wall 106. In oneor more embodiments, a surface of the body wall 106 forms a continuoussurface with the base wall 110 from the top of the bucket 100 toward thebottom of the bucket 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Alternatively, thebody wall 106 and the base wall 110 may not share a continuous surface,e.g., the body wall 106 can have a first angle with respect to ninetydegrees, and the base wall 100 can have a second angle with respect toninety degrees. For example, the base wall 100 can allow the baseportion 104 to flare out toward the bottom of the bucket 100.

In some embodiments, a single piece of material can make up the bodyportion 102 and the base portion 104. In particular, the bucket 100 caninclude a single piece of durable material that makes up the bodyportion 102 and the base portion 104, as shown in FIGS. 1-8. In oneexample, the body portion 102 and the base portion 104 can bemanufactured using a single mold plastic injection molding process.Alternatively, the body portion 102 and the base portion 104 can be madefrom separate pieces of material. In particular, the body portion 102can can be made from a first piece of material (e.g., a first moldplastic injection molding process), while the base portion 104 can bemade from a second piece of material (e.g., a second mold plasticinjection). The body portion 102 and the base portion 104 can be madefrom different materials or the same similar materials. For example, thebody portion 102 can be made from stiff plastic material, while the baseportion 104 is made from a softer plastic or rubber material. In one ormore embodiments, the base portion 104 can be fused or otherwisepermanently coupled to the body portion 102.

In the event the body portion 102 and the base portion 104 are separatepieces, the base portion 104 can selectively couple to the body portion102. For instance, the base portion 104 can include a coupling mechanismwhereby a user can mechanically couple the top of the base portion 104to the bottom of the body portion 104. Alternatively, the body portion102 can include a coupling mechanism whereby a user can couple the baseportion 104 to the body portion 104. Further, in some embodiments, boththe body portion 102 and base portion 104 can include couplingmechanisms for attaching the base portion 104 to the body portion 102.

In coupling the base portion 104 to the body portion 102, the baseportion 104 can include one or more attachment points through which ascrew, bolt, or other connection mechanism can pass in order to fastenthe base portion 104 to the body portion 102. For example, attachmentpoints can include holes in the top of the base portion 104 that alignwith corresponding attachment points in the floor 112 of the bodyportion 102 through which the screws, bolts, or other connectors cansecure the base portion 104 in position relative to the body portion102.

In another embodiment, the base portion 104 can include an attachmentmechanism integrated into the material of the base portion 104 thatfastens the base portion 104 to the body portion 102. For example, thebase portion 104 may include a screw protruding from the top of the baseportion 104. The screw can fit into a hole in the floor 112 of the bodyportion 102 configured to receive the screw. The base portion 104 can beconfigured to rotate and screw into the body portion 102 thus securingthe base portion 104 to the body portion 102 by way of the screw.Alternatively, the attachment can be integrated into the body portion102 to fasten the floor 112 of the body portion 102 to the base portion104.

In some embodiments, the base portion 104 can attach to the body portion102 by way of one or more attachment points around the base wall 110and/or body wall 106. For example, the base portion 104 can include oneor more clips or other fastening mechanisms that can attach to the bodywall 106 of the body portion 102. Further, the body portion 102 caninclude one or more receiving points to which the clips or otherfastening mechanisms on the base portion 104 can attach. Alternatively,the body portion 102 can attach to the base portion 104 by way of one ormore attachment points around the body wall 106 that fasten to one ormore receiving points on the base wall 110.

In yet another embodiment, the base portion 104 can couple to the bodyportion 102 by fitting a portion of the base portion 104 within the bodyportion 102. For example, the body portion 102 can include a body wall106 having a slightly larger circumference than the base wall 110. Thebase portion 110 can fit within the body wall 106 (e.g., using a slipfit connection) by placing a top of the base portion 104 into the bottomof the body portion 102. Alternatively, the body portion 102 can fitwithin the base portion 104.

As mentioned above, the body portion 102 can have the body wall 106 thatdefines an interior portion 108 of the bucket 100. The interior portion108 can include a variety of combination of shapes, cross-sectionalareas, and volumes. For example, the volume of the interior portion 108can vary from one embodiment to the next. In some embodiments, theinterior portion 108 can have a volume of about five gallons. Inparticular, one or more embodiments can have an interior portion 108having an identical configuration and volume as a conventionalfive-gallon bucket. In alternative embodiments, the interior volume canbe more or less than five gallons.

As mentioned above, the body wall 106 can define an interior portion 108having variety of combination of shapes, cross-sectional areas, andvolumes. For example, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the interiorportion 108 can have a substantially cylindrical shape. In someembodiments, a substantially cylindrical shape can include a shapehaving a larger horizontal cross sectional area toward the top of theinterior portion 108 and a smaller horizontal cross sectional areatoward the bottom of the interior portion 108. For example, the top ofthe body portion 102 can have a larger cross sectional diameter than across sectional diameter toward the bottom of the body portion 102, asillustrated in FIG. 1, for example. Accordingly, a user can stack thebucket 100 within the interior portion 108 of other buckets having aninterior portion of similar size and shape.

In alternative embodiments, the body portion 102 of the bucket 100 canhave variety of shapes, cross-sectional areas, and volumes. For example,the bucket 100 can have an oval, rectangular, cubic, or other shape,depending on the application of the bucket 100. One benefit of thebucket 100 disclosed herein is that because of the handles 118 in thebase portion 104, the interior volume of the bucket 100 can be largerthan the standard five-gallon buckets while still allowing the user tolift, transport, empty, or otherwise use the bucket 100 with ease evenwith a larger volume of material within the interior portion 106 of thebucket 100.

Regardless of the various shapes of the interior portion 108, the bodyportion 102 can include a floor 112 defining a bottom of the interiorportion 108, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, and 7. In particular, thefloor 112 can provide a flat surface extending across a cross-section ofthe body portion 102 that defines a bottom surface of the interiorportion 108 enclosed by the body wall 106. In some embodiments, and asshown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, and 7, the floor 112 can extend completelyacross a cross section of the interior portion 108 forming a flatsurface across the entire area of a horizontal cross section extendingbetween the body wall 106.

In general, although one or more embodiments provide a handle integralwithin the base portion 104 of the bucket 100, the floor 112 of thebucket 100 remains flat providing one or more benefits. In particular,having a flat surface for the floor 112 can facilitate easy mixing ofmaterials (e.g., cement, paint, liquids) within the bucket 100.Additionally, having a flat surface for the floor 112 can provideefficient measuring of the volume of material contained within thebucket 100.

The floor 112 can further provide a barrier between the body portion 102and the base portion 104 of the bucket 100. In particular, the floor 112can define a bottom surface of the interior portion 108 while defining atop surface of the base portion 104. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates oneview of the floor 112 separating the bottom surface of the body portion102 from the top surface of the base portion 104. In addition toproviding a barrier between the body portion 102 and the base portion104, the floor 112 can further facilitate the interior portion 108having an independent volume from the base portion 104. In particular,all elements and features of the base portion 104 can have a positionbelow the floor 112, thus providing an interior portion 108 having avolume and other dimensions independent from any features of the baseportion 104.

The body portion 102 can include additional features that providevarious advantages to the ergonomics and structure of the bucket 100.For example, the bucket 100 can include one or more stabilizer rings114. As shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 7, the bucket 100 can include multiplestabilizer rings 114. Alternatively, the bucket 100 can include a singlestabilizer ring 114. The stabilizer rings 114 can protrude from theoutside of the body wall 106 to reinforce the shape of the body portion102 when the interior portion 108 is filled with various materials.Additionally, the stabilizer rings 114 can reinforce the shape of thebody portion 102 when the bucket 100 is carried by a user. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and 7, the bucket 100 can include stabilizerrings 114 positioned towards the top of the body portion 102.Alternatively, the stabilizer rings 114 can have a position at variousheights with respect to the body portion 102.

Other features of the body portion 102 can include a top handle (notshown). For example, a top handle can extend from the body wall and loopover the top of the bucket 100. In some embodiments, ends of the tophandle can connect to the body wall 106 by way of one or more handleconnection points, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Further, the tophandle can include a metal wire loop extending over the top of thebucket 100. The top handle can provide an additional engagement pointfor a user to carry and/or steady the bucket 100 when it is full ofmaterial. For example, a user can engage the bucket 100 with one hand onthe top handle and another hand on a handle formed in the base portion104 of the bucket 100.

In particular, and as mentioned above, the bucket 100 can include one ormore handles 118 in the base portion 104. In one or more embodiments,the base portion 104 can include a void 116 in the base wall 110. Inparticular, the void 116 can have a size and configuration to form ahandle 118 in the base portion 104 of the bucket 100. For example, asillustrated in FIGS. 1-4, 7, and 8, a void 116 can pass through the basewall 110 forming an opening in the base wall 110 and defining a handle118 that provides one or more ways to engage the base portion 104 of thebucket when lifting, transporting, emptying, and/or otherwise using thebucket 100.

As mentioned above, the handle 118 can include one or more features tofacilitate various ways to engage the bucket 100 when lifting,transporting, emptying, and/or otherwise using the bucket 100. Forexample a user can engage the handle 118 from underneath the bucket 100.For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the void 116 can pass intothe base wall 110 and through the bottom of the base portion 104.Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, 7, and 8, in some embodiments, thevoid 116 can form a handle 118 having a grip portion 120 accessible fromthe bottom of the bucket 100. In particular, a bottom surface of thegrip portion 120 can face downward and be accessible from the bottom ofthe base portion 104. Thus, a user can grab the handle 118 and liftupward by engaging a bottom portion of the grip portion 120 formed bythe void 116.

In addition to providing an engagement point under the base portion 104of the bucket 100, the grip portion 120 can further include features toenable a variety of ways for a user to engage and/or otherwise grip thebase portion 104 of the bucket 100. For instance, as illustrated inFIGS. 1-4, 7, and 8, the grip portion 120 can include a portion of thebase wall 110 formed under the void 116 that a user can grip when usingthe bucket 100. The grip portion 120 can further include a gradualtransition from the handle 118 to the bottom of the bucket 100, thusavoiding any sharp edges or corners that may irritate a user's hand whenlifting the bucket 100 by way of the grip portion 120. Thus, the gripportion 120, including the portion of the base wall 104 positioned underthe void 116, can provide an engagement point for a user to secure ahold of the bucket 100 when lifting, transporting, emptying, and/orotherwise using the bucket 100. For example, the user can engage thegrip portion 120 from the side of the bucket (e.g., when carrying anempty bucket 100) or, alternatively, from the bottom of the base portion104 (e.g., when lifting a full bucket 100 in a way to pour material andempty the bucket 100).

In addition to the grip portion 120, the handle 118 can include one ormore features to facilitate additional engagement points by which a usercan engage the bucket 100. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, thevoid 116 can form an opening in the side of the base wall 110 by which auser can engage the bucket 100. For example, in some embodiments, theopening to the handle 118 can include a groove, lip, or rim around theopening formed by the void 116. In some embodiments, a user can engagethe opening of the handle 118 by placing a hand through the openingformed by the void 116 and lifting the bucket 100.

In addition to defining an opening in the base wall 110, the void 116can define an interior surface of the handle 118 lining the inside ofthe void 116. A user can engage the bucket 100 in one or more ways byengaging the interior surface of the handle 118. In particular, a usercan engage the handle 118 by inserting a hand through an opening in thebase wall 110 formed by the void 116 and lifting against the interiorsurface of the handle 118.

In some embodiments, the interior surface of the handle 118 can includea bottom surface of the floor 112 that can serve as a further engagementpoint by which a user can grip and/or lift the bucket 100. For example,as mentioned above, and as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6, 7, and 8, a topinterior surface of the handle 118 can comprise a portion of the bottomsurface of the floor 112. When using the bucket 100, a user's hands canengage the floor 112 of the body portion 102 when lifting upwards andengage the floor 112 by way of the opening in the base wall 110 formedby the void 116. This engagement of the bucket 110 could be particularlyadvantageous when lifting a bucket 100 full of material as lifting thebucket 100 would not require engaging an underside of a full and/orheavy bucket 100 that is on the floor or other hard surface.

In some embodiments, the handle 118 can include one or more ergonomicfeatures to facilitate efficient and ergonomic use of the bucket 110.For example. The handle 118 can include one or more finger indentationson the grip portion 120 of the handle. In some embodiments, the handle118 can include finger indentations on an underside of the grip portion120 (e.g., from the bottom of the base portion 104). Additionally oralternatively, the handle 118 can include finger indentations on thetop, inside, and/or outside of the grip portion 120.

In some embodiments, the handle 118 can include finger indentations onan inner surface of the handle 118. For example, the handle 118 caninclude one or more finger indentations on a top interior surface of thehandle 118 formed by the void 116. Thus, when a user engages the bucket100 by way of the opening in the base wall 110 formed by the void 116,the user can further engage one or more finger indentations on an uppersurface of the handle 118. In one example, the handle 118 can includefinger indentations on an underside of the floor 112 that the userengages by way of the opening in the base wall 110.

The handle 118 can include additional ergonomic features. For example,the handle 118 can include a foam or other similar material on the gripportion 120 of the handle 118. A foam material can provide a more secureand/or comfortable grip when grasping the grip portion 120, either fromthe underside of the base portion 104 or at any point around the gripportion 120 of the handle 118. In some embodiments, the foam materialcan include any material that provides additional comfort and/or staticfriction between a user's hands and the grip portion 120 to facilitate abetter grip when grabbing the grip portion 120.

In another example of ergonomic features, the handle 118 can include afoam or other similar material lining an interior surface of the handle118 formed by the void 116. In particular, the interior surface of thevoid 116 can have a foam material lining to facilitate a more ergonomicand secure surface by which the user can lift, transport, empty, and/orotherwise use the bucket 100. For example, where a user lifts the bucket100 by inserting fingers through the void 116 and lifting upward, thefingers can come into contact with a foam lining along the upper surfaceof the handle 118. Thus, even without using the grip portion 120, thefoam material lining the inside of the handle 118 can provide anergonomic way to lift and/or otherwise use the bucket 100. In someembodiments, the bottom side of the floor 112 can include a foammaterial lining to facilitate a more secure grip when using the bucket100.

While the base portion 104 can include a single void 116 in accordancewith some embodiments described herein, the base portion 104 can includemore than one void 116. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 6,and 7, bucket 100 can include two voids 116 positioned on the base wall110. Each of the voids 116 can define a respective handle 118 that canbe engaged by a user. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6-7,the two voids 116 can have a position on opposite sides of the baseportion 104. Thus, a user can engage the base portion 104 from oppositesides of the bucket 100 by way of the two handles 118 formed by thevoids 116. In particular, a user can use both hands to lift the bucket100 using both handles 118. Alternatively, the base portion 104 caninclude multiple voids 106 at non-opposing locations along the base wall110.

In some embodiments, the base portion 104 can include any number ofvoids 116 positioned throughout the base portion 104 forming any numberof handles 118. For example, the base portion can include three or morevoids 116, each forming a respective handle 118. In some embodiments,the base portion 104 can include multiple voids 116 spaced out evenlyaround the base wall 110 providing multiple options for a user to engagethe handles 118 formed from the multiple voids 116. Additionally, thebase portion 104 can include an even number of voids 116 includingmultiple pairs of voids 116, each void pair including a void 116positioned on opposite sides of the base portion 104 from acorresponding void 116. As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, themultiple voids 116 can have a similar position along the height of thebase portion 102. Alternatively, the voids 116 can be positioned atdifferent heights of the base portion 102. In some configurations, thebucket 100 can include handles 118 at any position along the height ofthe bucket 100.

As described above, the base portion 104 can include a void 116 in thebase wall 110. In particular, the void 116 can extend through the basewall 110. Additionally, the void 116 extending through the base wall 110can form a handle 118 that is flush with the base wall 110. Thus, thehandle 118 can be formed within the base portion 104 of the bucket 100without having any parts protruding from the base wall 110. Providing ahandle 118 that is interior to the base portion 104 can enable a user tostack the bucket 100 with other similar buckets 100 or otherconventional buckets having similar shape and dimensions.

In some embodiments, the void 116 can pass between the base wall 110 anda bottom of the base portion 104. For example, the base portion 104 caninclude a flat surface (not shown) extending across a bottom portion ofthe base portion 104. The flat surface can form a bottom surface of thebase portion 104. In some embodiments, the void 116 can extend throughthe bottom surface of the base portion 104 such that the handle 118defined by the void 116 is accessible from both the base wall 104 andthrough the bottom surface of the base portion 104. Additionally, abottom surface of the base portion 104 can provide a surface to sit orstand on in an alternative use of the bucket 100. Alternatively, thebottom surface of the base portion 104 can have a sloped or curvedsurface.

The base portion 104 can further include one or more features tofacilitate a more durable structure and/or ergonomic use of the bucket100. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7, the base portion 104can include an open space in a center portion of the base portion 104.Having an open space can facilitate saving material cost as well asproviding a bucket 100 that weighs less than a bucket 100 having a baseportion 104 of solid material. Alternatively, the base portion 104 canbe made using a solid piece of plastic or other durable material.

Additionally, the base portion 104 can include one or more stabilizerelements 122. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, one ormore stabilizer elements 122 can extend inward from the base wall 110.Stabilizer elements can provide additional structure to the base portion104 as well as reinforce the shape of the base portion 104 when pressureis applied to the base portion 104 (e.g., when pressure is applied dueto heavy material in the interior portion 108). The base portion 104 caninclude any number of stabilizer elements 122.

FIGS. 9-16 illustrate various views of another exemplary embodiment of abucket 200 in accordance with principles described herein. The bucket200 illustrated in FIGS. 9-16 can include one or more of the featuresdescribed above in connection with FIGS. 1-8. For example, the bucket200 can include a body portion 202, base portion 204, body wall 206,interior portion 208, base wall 210, floor 212, stabilizer rings 214,void 216, handle 218, grip portion 220, and stabilizer elements 222.Each of the body portion 202, base portion 204, body wall 206, interiorportion 208, base wall 210, floor 212, stabilizer rings 214, void 216,handle 218, grip portion 220, and stabilizer elements 222 can includesimilar features as corresponding elements described herein. In someembodiments, the bucket 200 can include additional and/or alternativefeatures and characteristics.

For example, the void 216 can form a path between the base wall 210 anda bottom of the base portion 204. In particular, the void 216 can definecurved tunnel that passes horizontally through the base wall 210 andvertically through a bottom of the base portion 204. Thus, the handle118 can include a tunnel with openings in the base wall 210 and thebottom of the base portion 204. In some embodiments, the tunnel formedby the void 216 passing through the base portion 204 can transition froma horizontal path through the base wall 210 to a vertical path at aninety-degree angle through a bottom of the base portion 204.Alternatively, the void 216 can define a cave-like handle 218 that doesnot pass through the bottom of the base portion 204. For example, thevoid 216 can define a handle 218 having a cave-like opening that a usercan engage exclusively from the base wall 210 without also facilitatingaccess from the bottom of the base portion 204.

Additionally, the handle 218 can include a handle backing 224 on aninner portion of the handle 218 towards the center of the base portion204. In particular, as illustrated in FIGS. 10, 14, 16, and 17, thehandle backing 224 can define a back portion of the handle 218 thatguides a hand of a user through the void 216. In some embodiments, thehandle backing 224 can provide additional structure of the handle 218preventing breaking or unintentional bending of the handle 218.Additionally, the handle backing 224 can prevent material or otherdebris that inadvertently enters the void 216 through the base wall 210from becoming stuck underneath the bucket 200 (e.g., within an open areaof the body portion).

FIGS. 17-24 illustrate various views of another exemplary embodiments ofa bucket 300 in accordance with principles described herein. The bucket300 illustrated in FIG. 17-24 can include one or more of the featuresdescribed above in connection with FIGS. 1-16. For example, the bucket300 can include a body portion 302, base portion 304, body wall 306,interior portion 308, base wall 310, floor 312, stabilizer rings 314,void 316, handle 318, grip portion 320, and stabilizer elements 322.Each of the body portion 302, base portion 304, body wall 306, interiorportion 308, base wall 310, floor 312, stabilizer rings 314, void 316,handle 318, grip portion 320, and stabilizer elements 322 can includesimilar features as corresponding elements described herein. In someembodiments, the bucket 300 can include additional and/or alternativefeatures and characteristics.

For example, similar to the bucket 200 described above in connectionwith FIGS. 9-16, the bucket 300 illustrated in FIGS. 17-24 can include avoid 316 forming a path between the base wall 310 and a bottom of thebase portion 304. In particular, similar to other embodiments describedherein, the void 316 can define a handle 318 passing horizontallythrough the base wall 310 and vertically through a bottom of the baseportion 304. Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 17-24, the void 316passing through the base portion 304 can gradually transition from ahorizontal path through the base wall 310 to a vertical path through thebottom of the base portion 304. Different embodiments can includevarious degrees of the gradual transition from the horizontal path tothe vertical path.

Additionally, similar to the bucket 200 described above in connectionwith FIGS. 9-16, the bucket 300 can include a handle backing 324 on aninner portion of the handle 318 towards the center of the base portion304. Further, as shown in FIGS. 18, 22, 23, and 24, the handle backing324 can define a back portion of the handle 318 that guides a hand of auser through the void 316.

FIG. 25 illustrates an additional embodiment of the present invention.The bucket 400 of FIG. 25 can include one or more of the featuresdescribe above in connection with FIGS. 1-24. For example, the bucket400 can include a body portion 402, base portion 404, body wall 406,interior portion 408, base wall 410, floor 412, stabilizer rings 414,void 416, handle 418, grip portion 420, and stabilizer elements 422.Each of the body portion 402, base portion 404, body wall 406, interiorportion 408, base wall 410, floor 412, stabilizer rings 414, void 416,handle 418, grip portion 420, and stabilizer elements 422 can includesimilar features as corresponding elements described herein.Additionally, the bucket 400 can include additional and/or alternativefeatures and characteristics.

In particular, FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an examplebucket 400 having a body portion 402 and a base portion 404. The bodyportion 402 can define an interior portion 408. Further, the bucket 400can include one or more voids 416 that each define a handle 418 in thebase portion 404 of the bucket 400. In some embodiments, the handles caninclude a void 418 passing directly between the base wall 410 andthrough a bottom of the bucket 400. As illustrated in FIG. 25, the void416 defining the handle 418 can pass directly, along a straight path,between the base wall 410 and the bottom of the bucket 400 to form ahandle 418 whereby a user can engage the bucket 400.

Additionally, the bucket can include a floor 412 of the body portion. Inparticular, the floor 412 can define one or more surfaces that make up abottom portion of the interior portion 408 of the bucket 400. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 25, the floor 412 can include a flatsurface 426 and one or more sloped portions 428. In some embodiments,the sloped portion 428 is defined by the handle 418 formed in the baseportion 404 of the bucket 400. Providing handles 418 that define thesloped portion 428 in the floor 412 can facilitate a bucket 400 having alower height than buckets having an interior portion 408 that isindependent from the base portion 404 of the bucket 400. Accordingly,the bucket 400 illustrated in FIG. 25 can have an overall height similarto the height of conventional buckets having a similar volume. Further,the bucket 400 can be stacked within one or more similar buckets and/orconventional buckets having similar shape and dimensions.

Regardless of the final design of the bucket 100, 200, 300, 400, thebucket 100, 200, 300, 400 can be made using a variety of materials. Inone example, the bucket 100, 200, 300, 400 includes a high strengthplastic material. Nevertheless, other materials may be used, such asmetals, composites, etc.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bucket, comprising: a body portion having afloor and a body wall, the body portion defining an interior portion; abase portion positioned below the body portion, the base portioncomprising a base wall coupling with the body wall; and a void locatedin the base wall of the base portion, the void sized and configured toform a handle.
 2. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the void extendsthrough the base wall.
 3. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the voidextends from the base wall through a bottom portion of the base portion.4. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the handle is accessible from a bottomportion of the base portion.
 5. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the floorseparates the interior portion from the base portion.
 6. The bucket ofclaim 1, wherein the floor comprises a flat surface extending completelybetween a first end of the body wall and a second end of the body wall.7. The bucket of claim 1, wherein a volume of the interior portion isindependent from the base portion and the handle.
 8. The bucket of claim1, wherein the base portion comprises a flat surface extending across abottom portion of the base portion forming a bottom surface of the baseportion.
 9. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the bucket comprises a singlepiece of plastic material for the base portion and the body portion. 10.The bucket of claim 1, wherein the bucket comprises a first piece ofplastic material for the base portion and a second piece of plasticmaterial for the body portion.
 11. The bucket of claim 10, wherein thebase portion and the body portion are fused together.
 12. The bucket ofclaim 10, wherein the base portion is selectively joined to the bodyportion.
 13. The bucket of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises one ormore ergonomic features.
 14. The bucket of claim 13, wherein the one ormore ergonomic features comprises finger indentations on a grip of thehandle.
 15. The bucket of claim 13, wherein the one or more ergonomicfeatures comprises a foam material on a grip of the handle.
 16. Thebucket of claim 13, wherein the one or more ergonomic features comprisesa foam material lining a surface of the handle formed by the void. 17.The bucket of claim 1, wherein the bucket is stackable within aninterior portion of another bucket having a cylindrical shape and asimilar volume.
 18. A bucket, comprising: a body portion having a floorand a body wall, the body portion defining an inner portion; a baseportion positioned below the body portion, the base portion comprising abase wall coupling with the body wall; a first void located in the basewall of the base portion, the first void sized and configured to form afirst handle; and a second void located in the base wall on an opposingside of the base portion from the first void, the second void sized andconfigured to form a second handle.
 19. The bucket of claim 18, whereinthe bucket comprises one or more additional voids located in the basewall of the base portion, each of the one or more additional voids sizedand configured to form an additional handle.
 20. The bucket of claim 19,wherein the first void, second void, and one or more additional voidsare spaced out evenly across the base wall.